Manchester Youth

1. An unselfish relationship

“And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God” (1 Sam. 23: 16).

God make us all His Jonathans. There is a great hunter abroad in the world [the devil]. Like Saul who sought David every day, he seeks souls every day, never a day’s respite, always the hunt is on. Although the words stand for ever, “but God delivered him not into his hand,” yet sometimes souls tire of being hunted, and like David they are in a wilderness in a wood. Then is Jonathan’s chance. But notice what he does; he does not so comfort David that he becomes necessary to him. “He strengthened his hand in God.” He leaves his friend strong in God, resting in God, safe in God. He detaches his dear David from himself and he attaches him to his “Very Present Help” [Psalm 46:1]. Then Jonathan went to his house, and David abode in the wood–with God.

2. An inspirational relationship
Read on…

“Чтобы познать Его…” (Филиппийцам 3:10)

Святой Божий должен стремиться не к тому, чтобы реализовать свой потенциал, а к тому, чтобы познать Иисуса Христа. Настоящий святой не верит, что все происходит по воле случая, и не делит свою жизнь на мирскую и духовную. Он смотрит на все обстоятельства, в которых оказывается, как на возможность еще лучше познать Иисуса Христа. Ради этого познания он бесповоротно отрекается от всего. Дух Святой помогает нам познать Иисуса Христа во всем в нашей жизни, и Он снова и снова будет возвращать нас в одно и то же место, пока мы Его не познаем именно там. Если же наша цель будет заключаться в том, чтобы реализовать себя, нашим богом станут дела. Дела могут быть разные: еда, питье, мытье ног ученикам, — но какое бы дело у нас ни стояло на повестке дня, нам нужно во что бы то ни стало стремиться и в нем познать Иисуса Христа. Все, с чем мы сталкиваемся в своей жизни, имеет свое соответствие в жизни Христа. Наш Господь помнил о Своей неразрывной связи с Отцом даже тогда, когда делал дела, кажущиеся другим недостойными Его: “Иисус, зная… что Он от Бога исшел и к Богу отходит… взяв полотенце… начал умывать ноги ученикам” (Ин. 13:3-5). Цель настоящего святого в том, “чтобы познать Его”. Познаю ли я Его там, где я сегодня нахожусь? Если нет, я Его подвожу. Ведь я сегодня там, где я есть, не для того, чтобы познать, на что способен я, а для того, чтобы познать Иисуса. Чаще всего в служении бывает так, что люди понимают: что-то нужно сделать и сделать это нужно именно мне. У настоящего святого такого понимания быть не должно, его цель — в любых обстоятельствах, в которых он окажется, еще лучше познать Иисуса Христа.

–Освальд Чеймберс, “Всё, что могу, во славу Его.” Перевод Юрия Смирнова.

I say that we must talk to ourselves instead of allowing ‘ourselves’ to talk to us! Do you realize what that means? … Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them but they are talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. Who is talking to you? Your self is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment [in Psalm 42] was this: instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” he asks. His soul had been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says: “Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you.” …

The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: ‘Why art thou cast down’ – what business have you to be disquieted? You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself: ‘Hope thou in God’ – instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: ‘I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my God.’

–Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Psalm 42 in his book Spiritual Depression, pp.20-21

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings.As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read “Girls I have Liked”. I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room, with its small files, was a catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn’t match.

A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. Read on…

I myself could never believe in God were it not for the cross. The only God I believe in is the One Nietzsche ridiculed as ‘God on the Cross.’ In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of the Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world. But each time, after a while I have had to turn away. And in my imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wretched, brow bleeding from thorn pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in God-forsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside His immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in the light of His.

There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark - the Cross, which symbolizes divine suffering. The cross of Christ … is God’s only self-justification in such a world as ours.

–by John Stott from his book “The Cross of Christ”

“And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side…” Mark 6:45-52

We are apt to imagine that if Jesus Christ constrains us, and we obey Him, He will lead us to great success. We must never put our dreams of success as God’s purpose for us; His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not. The question of getting to a particular end is a mere incident. What we call the process, God calls the end.

What is my dream of God’s purpose? His purpose is that I depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay in the middle of the turmoil calm and unperplexed, that is the end of the purpose of God. God is not working towards a particular finish; His end is the process - that I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea. It is the process, not the end, which is glorifying to God.

–Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

“Будем внимательны друг ко другу, поощряя к любви и добрым делам. Не будем оставлять собрания своего”. (Евреям 10:24-25)

Мы все можем стать духовными бездельниками: нам не хочется ввязываться в борьбу, наша единственная цель — чтобы все было спокойно. В 10-й главе Послания к Евреям говорится о том, чтобы мы к чему-то поощряли друг друга и держались вместе. И то, и другое требует инициативы, инициативы в поиске того, что нужно Христу, а не того, что нужно нам. Ничто не может быть дальше от понимания духовности в изложении Иисуса Христа, чем жизнь уединенная, на покое, в глуши. Наша духовность проходит испытание на прочность тогда, когда мы сталкиваемся с несправедливостью, подлостью, неблагодарностью и суетой. Все это может сделать из нас духовных бездельников. Мы даже в молитве и чтении Библии ищем успокоения, уединения. Мы используем Бога как средство обретения мира и покоя: нам не нужен Иисус Христос, нам нужно, чтобы Он нам что-то дал. И это первый шаг в неправильную сторону. Все, чего нам хочется, — это следствие, а мы из него пытаемся сделать причину. “Справедливым же почитаю… возбуждать вас напоминанием” (2 Пет. 1:13), — сказал Петр. Не очень-то приятно, конечно, если кто-то, у кого полно духовных сил, тебя “возбуждает”, толкая в бок. Но если у кого-то полно сил, это еще не значит, что у него полно именно сил духовных: активность плотская прекрасно может маскироваться под активность духовную. Опасность духовной лени заключается в том, что мы не хотим, чтобы нас вообще кто-то расшевеливал, мы хотим слышать только о духовном уединении. Иисус Христос никогда не поддерживает идею духовного отдыха — “Пойдите, возвестите братьям Моим…” (Мф. 28:10).

–Освальд Чеймберс, “Всё, что могу, во славу Его.” Перевод Юрия Смирнова.

Some of us expressed an interest to make a zealous attempt to read the Bible
in 90 days.

It is a pretty high-paced program and requires commitment, but the benefits
are evident. In just 3 month you will see how the Story of God unfolds as
you go through the books of the Bible. Just think of how many profound
things God may reveal to you in the midst of it.

Here is the link to the schedule

It requires only about 30 minutes of your time daily (which is nothing
considering this is the Bible).

If you are interested, I would strongly recommend to find a partner to help
each other to stay on top of the schedule.

Alex Bond and I are starting next Monday, you are welcome to join.

Or feel free to form your own group and start whenever you would like!

God bless,

Kolya

Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word;
Once His gift I wanted, Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone.

Once ’twas painful trying, now ’tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost!
Once ’twas ceaseless holding, Now he holds me fast;
Once ’twas constant drifting, Now my anchor’s cast.

Once ’twas busy planning, Now ’tis trustful prayer;
Once ’twas anxious caring, Now He has the care;
Once ’twas what I wanted, Now what Jesus says;
Once ’twas constant asking, Now ’tis ceaseless praise.

Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me;
Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.

Once I hoped in Jesus, now I know He’s mine;
Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine;
Once for death I waited, Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored, Safe within the vail.

Chorus:
All in all forever, Jesus will I sing:
Everything in Jesus, And Jesus everything.

by A. B. Simpson

Unbelief puts circumstances between itself and Christ, so as not to see Him; as the disciples did, through the mist, “and they cried out for fear.” Faith puts Christ between itself and circumstances, so that it cannot see them “for the glory of that light.” Unbelief fixes its gaze on men, and things, and likelihoods, and possibilities, and circumstances. Faith will not concern herself with these; she refuses to spend her time and waste her strength in considering them. Her eye is fixed steadfastly on her Lord, and she is persuaded that He is well able to supply all her need, and to carry her through all difficulties and straits.

–F.B.Meyer, Shepherd Psalm